Seoul: Top 5 Burgers in Seoul

What do you do when you’re craving a good old-fashioned American Burger and you’re living in South Korea? Worry not, there are a ton of options available to you in Seoul, although they may be a bit pricier and smaller than the burgers you know and love.  I picked my Top 5 Favorites, hoping this will satisfy that craving and give you a little taste of home.

I had fun visiting some popular spots with friends, and one of them might actually be familiar to you from the US. I tried to make the list as un-biased as possible, and give as an accurate review of the quickly growing burger subculture in Korea. Let’s get started~

5. Shake Shack | Dongdaemun

Hours: 10:30-11:00. Monday~Sunday.
Menu:ShackBurger (Single 6,900 won, Double 10,900 won), ‘Shroom Burger (9,400 won) Concrete (Single 5,900 won, Double 8,900 won)

Location: Dongdaemun (Doota) Come out Dongdaemun Station (Exit 8) or Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station (Exit 14) It’s on the 1st floor connected to the Doota.

One of the most visited fast-food joints for Koreans visiting NYC, the popular burger joint has finally arrived in South Korea. There are currently four locations in Seoul (Dongdaemun, Gangnam, Cheongdam, and Budang). I visited the location in Dongdaemun on a weekday, so there wasn’t a wait. When the first location first opened in Gangnam my friends waited 6 hours to get in. 

Each location seems to have a concrete exclusive to their branch. So I got the Dongdaemun Rainbow Concrete. It had doughnuts and jam on top.

ShackBurger and Cheese Fries

Concrete

I was shocked by how good the burger was. I’ve had Shake Shack in NYC once, and also tried their burgers in the Long Island location. Both were nothing special to me. In this location however, the meat was juicy, the potato bun was sweet and soft, and the fries were on point. I could have done without the thick nacho cheese that cost an extra few thousand won.

My suggestion? Skip out on the concretes, it was WAY too sweet, and the doughnuts were dense. For 6,900 won the burger is similar in price to its NYC counterpart, and well worth the trip if you’re craving that taste from home.

4. Fire Bell | Seolleung

Hours: 11:30-9:30. Monday~Sunday.
Menu: Rookie Burger (Single 7,000 won, Double 10,900 won), Wedge Fries (5,500 won) Vanilla Milkshake (5,000 won)

Location: Come out Seolleung Station (Exit 2) walk straight and turn left at down the first road after the four-way intersection (it’s a 10 minute walk).

This burger joint is known for being on the cheaper end of burgers in Seoul. It’s small and intimate, and has a bit of that American Diner feel. There was a short wait on a Sunday evening, we walked up the stairs and I typed in my phone number on the tablet. After about ten minutes we were notified that we could come inside. I wouldn’t recommend bringing a group of people, because there isn’t a lot of seating.

Rookie Burger

Wedge Fries

Vanilla Shake

We each ordered a single patty Rookie Burger, shared a small side of Mac and Cheese, wedge fries, and a Vanilla Shake. The burger was topped with cheese and caramelized onions. Honestly, the meat wasn’t anything special. I thought it was under-seasoned, and very soft. The bun was lightly toasted, but tasted like something you could get at the grocery store.

The best part of the meal was the wedge fries, they were well seasoned, crispy, and tasted just like home. The Mac and Cheese was too spicy for my taste, and the vanilla shake tasted the same as a cheaper shake you can buy at McDonald’s. My Korean friend didn’t have any complaints; she hates salty foods, loves spicy, and anything too sweet is unappetizing. So overall, I’d say this place is good for the Koreanized burger palette.

3. Itaewon the Burger | Itaewon

Hours: 11:00-10:00. Monday~Sunday.
Menu: Big Double Burger (12,900 won), Chili Cheese Fries (6,900 won), Belgian White Beer (5,900 won)

Location: Come out Noksapyeong Station (exit 3). Walk straight then use the crossing to get over to the Itaewon side. Take the first alleyway on your right, just next to where Suji’s used to be. Walk down this street, you will see Itaewon the Burger on the right side about half way up.

There was quite a wait when we arrived on a Saturday (pretty typical for most decent restaurants in Itaewon). We signed in on a tablet and were directed to a large waiting room downstairs where we could drink some water and write on a chalkboard on the wall. When we entered the restaurant it felt quite narrow (waiters struggled to move past incoming customers), but apparently there’s a large private room out back to accommodate any larger groups.

 After perusing the menu we went up to the cash register to order. I got a double burger, we shared an order of chili fries, and topped it off with a Belgian White Beer. The total came to a whopping 22,250 won per person, which is crazy for a burger joint.

The actual burger was juicy and perfectly seasoned and had a charcoal grill taste to it. This burger was larger than the other burger places I went to (of course I did get a double patty this time). My favorite part was the buttery bun. The burger literally fell apart as I ate it, and the juices were everywhere.

The fries were quite spicy, which I didn’t mind, and the portion was quite generous for two people. The beer hit the spot, and the combination of beer, chili fries, and juicy burger was perfect.

2. Brooklyn the Burger Joint | Garosu-gil

Hours: 24 hours a day.
Menu: Brooklyn the Works (Single 9,800, Double 11,800), Cheese Fries (8,500), Vanilla Shake (5,500 won)

Location: Come out Sinsa Station (Exit 8) Walk straight and take the fourth road on the left (Garosugil). Walk on a block down Garosugil and take the first right, walk one more block and take the first left, you will see Brooklyn the Burger Joint just up ahead on the right hand side.

I went with friends during the week (around 5 PM) so there wasn’t a wait. Usually there’s quite a line for this restaurant. As soon as we walked in, it felt exactly like an American Diner, and we took a seat in one of the booths. The menu is extensive, but the prices are pretty steep. With root beer floats, a 50’s style countertop, and old-fashioned napkin dispensers it felt just like home.

This was your basic All American burger; bacon, cheese, lettuce, onion, and a juicy patty. I think the highlight was the buttery bun, the meat was a little under-seasoned for my taste, but better than Firebell’s. The fries were good, but I could have done without the cheese (my friends really wanted to try the cheese fries). The shake was way overpriced but very satisfying. With over 10 different flavors on the menu, I would recommend trying one out, although they’re quite expensive.

1. Gilbert’s Burger and Fries | Itaewon

Hours: 11:30-9:30. Monday~Sunday.
Menu: Mr. President (5 oz 10,500 won, 7 oz 12,500 won), Gilbert (5 oz 10,500 won, 7 oz 12,500 won), Green Light (5 oz 11,000 won, 7 oz 13,000), Sweet Potato Fries (10,000 won), Black Bull Float (7,000 won)

Location: Come out Noksapyeong Station (Exit 2) turn around and walk over the bridge, and turn right, follow the road around past Coreanos and Manimal until you get to the GS. Turn left at the GS and walk slightly up the hill, you will see Gilbert’s Burger & Fries just ahead on the right. 

I met three friends here on a Sunday afternoon, and it was surprisingly empty. It was a wide space with a bar, and the lighting from the windows was quite nice. We were able to go up to a shelf and pick out our sauces, so it felt very laid back.

Mr. President

Sweet Potato Fries

The sweet potato fries came out first, although they were slightly burned (because of the sugar content they burn more easily), the maple mayo dip and fries was the perfect combination. We demolished those fries before the burgers even came out.

I ordered the Gilbert Burger (topped with red onion, cheese, and a fried egg). The meat was juicy and the bun was soft and fluffy. It was served with a traditional American dill pickle, and although I don’t usually like pickles, it really was the a great with the burger. Although rather pricey, this burger was one of my favorites, and it’s definitely worth checking out.

BONUS

Gony’s | Ttukseom 

Hours: 11:30-11:00. Monday~Sunday.
Menu: Bacon Cheese (9,800 won), Chili Cheese Fries (12,000 won), Oreo Milkshake (6,800 won), Peanut Milkshake (6,800 won)

Location: Come out Ttukseom Station Exit (7). Take the right that is just by the exit and walk straight, then take the next right. Gony’s is just at the end of this street on the right hand side.

Bacon Cheese Burger

Milkshake

This space was small and intimate, with an interesting projector showing music videos on the wall behind the tables. There was only one couple seated in the corner. We ordered at the register, and I think this meal came out to be the MOST expensive out of all the other places. While the burger was pretty good (I enjoyed the seasoned meat) it didn’t hold up to the other burgers. The real star of the meal for me was the milkshake, it was perfect on a hot summer day. This area is really close to where I lived (so it was a great find), but I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to see it.

 

**I tried to visit 9 oz Burger located near Nakseongdae Station a popular burger joint for Seoul University students. However, they need to work on their customer service and the waiting list. We saw them turn away a group of 8 students (they called earlier to make a reservation), and when we checked the webpage we were directed to, the wait time said “0 minutes”. When we went inside and showed a waitress, she sent us back out to wait. Literally 10 seconds later we got a notification that our reservation was canceled. We waited a total of 40 minutes, and were told to enter our names on the list AGAIN. So we left.**

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and can find the best burger in Seoul. There are a lot more restaurants I’d like to visit, but there are too many to count. Happy burger eating~